Measuring dispenser



June 4, 1946. J -GUMlLAR 2,401,684

MEASURING DISPENSER Filed Marchio, 1944/y Patented June 4,` 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE MEASURING DISPENSER Joseph Gumilar, Chicago, Ill.

Application March 10, 1944, Serial No. 525,893-

Claims.

My invention relates to measuring dispensers for salt, coiiee or other materials of a loose or free-running consistency, and more particularly to that class of'Y dispensers in which a rotary drum having a series of peripheral compartments is employed as a medium to measure and transfer material from a supply source to a serving or dispensing zone.

One object of the present invention is to provide a control which normally bars the passage of the material from the supply source to the measuring drum, so that no material is contained or wasted in the latter until a serving of material is desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide a control of the above character which is only operative to permit the passage of material into the measuring drum when a selected compartment of the latter is in the proper receiving position.

A still further object of the invention is te design the control with means to insure its return to origina1 or shut-off position after it has been operated to ll a given drum compartment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a handy frontal indicator coincidently with a drum operating means to facilitate the setting of the drum to desired measuring capacities.

An additional' object of the invention is toincorporate a simple adjunct in the supply zone ei the dispenser for opening containers equipped with pivoted pouring spouts.

An important object of the invention is to design the novel dispenser along lines of simplicity, compactness and durability.

With the above objects inview and any others .which may suggest themselvesv from the description to follow, a better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a front elevation. of the dispenser on a reduced scale and showing the application oi a conventional material container thereto;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the dispenser on a scale approaching full size;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section;

Fig. 4 is a top plan View; andi Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section.

Referring specifically to the drawing, I denotes the upper portion of the dispenser, which is a cup-like receptacle and designed to receive an inverted container II of salt, sugar or any other material which is to be measured and dispensed.

housing. A frontal finger piece 2B of the cup enables it to be withdrawn like a drawer after it has received a measured quantity of the material..

While some food containers require tearing or perforating of their tops to secure the discharge of their contents, many' of the more modern containers carry a quadrant-shaped pivotecl closure which serves as a pouring spout when it is opened. Such a closure is indicated at 2| in Fig. 3, and has an outwardly curved lip 22 as a catch for the finger nail when the closure is to be opened. The present invention includes a. handy device for opening the closure without the use of the finger nail and only after the container has been properly deposited in the receptacle II), so that no part of the material can be spilled or scattered before the container is applied to the receptacle. As shown more clearly in Fig. 3, the device comprises a horizontal spear 23 slidable` longitudinally in the receptacle` and having an external knob 24. When the container is deposited with the closure lip 22 opposite the spear, the manual advance of the latter will open the closure to and beyond the position indicated by dotted lines, so that the container contents may ll the receptacle and th'e outlet I5 thereof.

An arch-shaped frame 25, secured to the bottom of the receptacle IU by screws 26, depends with its legs 26a into the housing I2. The legs of the frame carry bearings 21 for the spindle 28 of a horizontal drum 29 disposed in the center of the housing. As noted in Fig. 3, the drum 29. is divided circumferentially with a series of compartments 30 of different capacities, whereby to hold fractions of a teaspoonful and a tablespoonful of the material receivable from the receptacle outlet I5. Thus, when a selected compartment is in the topmost position and receives its iilling of material, a frontal knob 3I on the spindle 28 may be turned to rotate the drum and secure the emptying of the compartment into the bottom of the housingl I2 for the discharge of the material throughv the outlet I6 into the serving cup fII..`

A device is provided as a shut-oli for the outlet I5 in respect to the drum 29. The outlet is made with divisions 32 from front to rear, and the device referred to is a slide 33 also extending from front to rear. The slide is arcuate in cross-section to make a close t both with the bottom of the outlet I5 above and with the periphery of the drum below, as indicated in Fig. 3. The slide has a longitudinal series of openings 34 spaced as the opening in the outlet I5. When normally positioned-as in Fig. 5-the slide forms a shut-off for the outlet I5, but a short, rearward movement will place the slide and outlet openings in registration, whereby to permit the passage of material from the outlet I5 into the topmost compartment-of the drum 29.

The drum spindle 28 is formed with an external collar 35 opposite the frontal frame leg 26a, against which the collar is held by a friction plate 33, the latter being secured to the said frame leg by a bolt 3'I and nut 38. The said frame leg and friction plate also Vform horizontal bearings fora stem 39 extending forwardly from the slide 33, the stem terminating with an upwardly-extending headpiece 40. A compression spring 4I on the stem 39 between the headpiece and the 4' drum as the same is rotated in either direction to discharge the contents of the filled compartment. A measuring dispenser is thus had which terials comprising a receptacle for a supply of the material and having a bottom outlet, a rotatable 'measuring drum below the outlet and friction plate normally maintains the slide in Y the forward or shutting-off position with reference to the receptacle inlet I5.

The frontal knob carries a dial 42 having capacity markings placed as and corresponding to the drum compartments 30. 43 Vare made in the dial opposite the several capacity markings. A plunger 44 extends forwardly from the headpiece 40, being formed with a frontal button 45 and a pendent lug 46 behind the button. The plunger 44 is directly over the center of the dial 42, and the lug 46 is located to enter the topmost notch 43 when the button 45 is pushed and to meet the dial as a bar in case aV notch does not occur in the topmost or central position. Since the button 45 controls the movement of the slide 33, it is now apparent that the slide cannot be moved to the open position unless a drum compartment is fully and directly under the outlet I5. A small spring 41 is inserted between the upper portion of the headpiece and the front of the receptacle Ill to equalize the pressure from the button to the stem 39. Finally, the" back of the receptacle receives a bracket 48 formed with perforations 49 to facilitate the attachment of the dispenser to a wall or a pantry or cabinet door. Y

With the novel dispenser constituted as described above, it is apparent that a frequently used commodity, such as sugar or salt, may be procured in measured amounts for general use, r

' the dispenser is not in use and as long as the quantity selector is not exactly at a point of registry with the push button lug, so that the dispenser remains locked while the drum is at some' odd point or with overlappingV compartments in respect to the outlet I3, or when the drum knob is turned by mistake or with a tampering intent. The push button control is for momentary use, simply to procure a filling ofthe uppermost compartment ofthe drum, the release of the button effecting a shut-off. Thus, only the particular compartment receives a filling of the material, and no surplus or afterow entersthe Peripheral notches formed with circumferentially-spaced compartments individually registrable with the outlet by setting the drum accordingly, a slidable control member intermediate the outlet and the measuring drum, and means rendering the control member inoperative when any of said compartments is out of registration with the outlet. 1

2. A measuring dispenser for free-running materials `comprising a receptacle for a supply of the material and having a bottom outlet, a rotatable measuring drumV below the outlet and formed with circumferentially-spaced compartments individually registrable with the outlet by setting the drum accordingly, an apertured slidable control plate intermediate the outlet andthe measuring drum, and means preventing movement of said plate when any of said compartments Vis out of registration with the outlet. v

ments individually registrable with the outlet by setting the drum accordingly, a slidable control member for the new between the outlet and the measuring drum, and means carried by the rotatable measuring drum rendering Vthe control member inoperative when anyof said compartments is out of registration with the outlet.

4. A measuring'dispenser for free-running materials comprising a receptacle fora supply of the material and having a bottom outlet, a rotatable measuring drum below the outlet and formed with circumferentially-spaced compartments individually registrable with the outlet by setting the drum accordingly, a spindle for the drum having an actuating knob, a slide parallel to the spindle and shutting off the flow from the outlet to the drum, and means between the slide and the spindle preventing theopening movement of the slide when any of said compartments is'out of regis- 

